Safe Driving Behaviour and Hazard Awareness
Seeing hazards before they become emergencies
Hazard awareness is the skill of reading the road ahead. Use the mirror–signal–manoeuvre routine every time you change speed or direction. Scan far ahead, not just the bumper in front, and keep your eyes moving: mirrors, road edge, oncoming traffic, and the road surface.
Common hazards in Bhutan
Expect livestock, pedestrians walking on the carriageway, cyclists, slow trucks on gradients, and rockfall. Blind bends hide oncoming vehicles; crests hide descending traffic. Wet or gravel surfaces reduce grip sharply. Construction zones and landslide debris change lane positions without notice.
Defensive driving habits
Keep a space cushion around the vehicle. Anticipate that other drivers may overtake recklessly on bends - slow slightly and keep left. Use the horn sparingly on blind bends as a warning, not as aggression. Avoid distractions: mobile phones, eating, and loud conversation all lengthen reaction time. Fatigue is a major killer on long mountain routes; stop and rest rather than push on.
Alcohol and impairment
Alcohol, drugs and extreme tiredness destroy judgement and slow reactions. The safe choice is never to drive after drinking. Even small amounts impair distance judgement and night vision.
Traps in exam questions
- "It is safe to overtake because the road looks clear" - on a blind bend, no.
- Following too closely to "see better" is wrong; it reduces your stopping margin.
- Using the horn to demand priority is wrong; it is a warning device.
- Driving slowly does not make you safe if you are distracted or impaired.
Rule of thumb
Use the two-second rule in dry conditions and double it to four seconds in rain or on gravel. If the vehicle ahead passes a fixed point before you finish counting, you are too close.